Active matrix organic light emitting device and method of manufacturing the same
A bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting device includes providing a transparent substrate, an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) that includes a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode sequentially stacked on an upper surface of the transparent substrate, a planarization film covering the OLED, and a pixel circuit that drives the OLED using an organic thin film transistor (“OTFT”) located on the planarization film.
This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0033199, filed on Apr. 21, 2005 and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. §119, and the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting device that uses an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) and a method of manufacturing the device, and more particularly, to an active matrix organic light emitting device having a pixel circuit that drives the OLED using an organic thin film transistor in each pixel and a method of manufacturing the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) is a light emitting device that generates light using an organic electroluminescence phenomenon, where light having a particular wavelength is generated by energy of excitons formed by recombining electrons injected from a cathode and holes injected from an anode, in a low molecular weight organic thin film or a polymer organic thin film.
Display devices that use the OLED can be divided into passive matrix (“PM”) types and active matrix (“AM”) types according to the driving method. The AM type organic light emitting device includes a pixel circuit that drives each pixel, arranged in a matrix with the pixels. The pixel circuit is switched by a thin film transistor (“TFT”), and stores pixel related information. The AM type has the advantages of superior contrast, less image flickering, and quicker response time over the PM type, since the AM type can be driven at a higher speed than the PM type.
The conventional AM organic light emitting device has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture, but has a low aperture ratio, which is the ratio of the area occupied by a light emission region with respect to the unit pixel area.
The conventional top-surface emitting organic light emitting device has a structurally high aperture ratio, because most of the pixel region can be used as the light emission region. However, the organic light emitting device has a high possibility of contamination with moisture, water vapor, and oxygen from the air, since the organic light emitting device is close to the external air. Thus, the protection film 40 must be provided with a sufficient thickness, thus increasing a thickness and overall size of the device.
Also, when an organic thin film transistor (“OTFT”) is used as the TFT 20 structure in the top-surface emitting organic light emitting device, the OTFT may be degraded during the process for forming the OLED 30, since the process temperature of the OLED 30 is higher than the process temperature of the OTFT.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a bottom-surface light emitting organic light emitting device having a high aperture ratio and a structure that reduces the degradation of an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) by external air by forming the OLED on an upper surface of a substrate, and a pixel circuit that includes an OTFT located on the OLED, overlapping with the OLED.
The present invention also provides a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device that prevents devices from degradation during manufacture by forming an OLED, which has a higher process temperature than an OTFT, on a substrate before forming the OTFT.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device includes a transparent substrate, an OLED that includes a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the transparent substrate, a planarization film covering the OLED; and a pixel circuit that drives the OLED using an OTFT disposed on the planarization film.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device includes forming an OLED by sequentially stacking a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode on an upper surface of a transparent substrate, forming a planarization film covering the OLED, forming a gate electrode on the upper surface of the planarization film and forming a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, forming a hole by removing a part of the gate insulating layer and the planarization film until the pixel electrode of the OLED is exposed, connecting the pixel electrode to a drain electrode through the hole while forming a source electrode and the drain electrode on the gate insulating layer, and forming an organic semiconductor unit between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The organic light emitting device of
A bottom-surface emitting OLED 300 structure is located on an upper part of the transparent substrate 100. That is, a transparent electrode 340 is located on the transparent substrate 100, and a bank unit 320 that defines a light emission region of a pixel in a barrier film shape is located on the transparent electrode 340. In other words, the transparent substrate 100 includes a first surface and a second surface, where each surface may be substantially planar and parallel to each other. The first surface supports the transparent electrode 340 thereon, and the second surface is a light-emitting surface. A stack of an organic light emitting layer 330 and a pixel electrode 310 is located in the light emission region of the bank unit 320. The transparent electrode 340 may be formed of a transparent conductive material, such as, but not limited to, indium tin oxide (“ITO”). The transparent electrode 340 can be a common electrode formed on the entire upper surface, or substantially the entire first surface, of the transparent substrate 100. The pixel electrode 310 may be formed of a material having high reflectance with respect to light emitted from the organic light emitting layer 330, thus increasing an amount of light exiting the second surface of the transparent substrate 100.
The organic light emitting layer 330 includes at least one emitting layer (“EML”). The EML is not limited to a monolayer structure, but can be a multilayer structure that increases the light emission efficiency by further selectively including an electron transfer layer (“ETL”), a hole transfer layer (“HTL”), and a hole injection layer (“HIL”) between two electrodes facing each other. For example, when the organic light emitting layer 330 has a stacked structure (not shown) composed of the ETL, the EML, and the HTL, the ETL can be included between the transparent electrode 340, which is a cathode, and the EML, and the HTL can be included between the pixel electrode 310, which is an anode, and the EML, thus sandwiching the EML between the HTL and the ETL. Here, the electrodes including the EML can be formed of any material known in the art, and the present invention is not limited by the selection of materials.
The OLED 300 structure is covered by an insulating planarization film 410, and the OTFT 200 structure is located on the planarization film 410. The OTFT 200 structure includes a gate electrode 210, a gate insulating layer 220, a source electrode 240, a drain electrode 230, and an organic semiconductor unit 250. This can be a conventional OTFT structure from the prior art. However, an interlayer connection unit 290 that electrically connects the drain electrode 230 of the OTFT 200 to the pixel electrode 310 of the OLED 300 passes through a part of the planarization film 410 and the gate insulating layer 220, within an opening formed through the planarization film 410 and the gate insulating layer 220.
While the gate electrode 210 is shown formed on the planarization film 410, in an alternative embodiment, the source electrode 240, the drain electrode 230, and the interconnecting organic semiconductor unit 250 may be formed on the planarization film 410 and covered by a gate insulating layer 220 with the gate electrode 210 formed on the gate insulating layer 220. In such an embodiment, a protection film 400 may then cover the gate electrode 210 and exposed portions of the gate insulating layer 220.
The OTFT 200 structure partly or entirely overlaps with the light emission region of the OLED 300 structure. Accordingly, the organic light emitting device according to the present embodiment can have a very high aperture ratio, since the light emission region occupies the entire surface except for locations occupied by the bank unit 320.
Also, the organic light emitting device according to the present embodiment can include a protection film 400 on the upper surface of the OTFT 200 structure. The protection film 400 protects the organic materials from contact with moisture and oxygen in the air. In particular, the protection film 400 may overlie the drain electrode 230, the source electrode 240, the organic semiconductor unit 250, and exposed portions of the gate insulating layer 220, as illustrated in
In the OLED structure according to the present invention, the organic light emitting layer 330 and the transparent electrode 340 are located against the transparent substrate 100, and the organic semiconductor unit 250, which has a higher resistance to moisture and oxygen than the organic light emitting layer 330, is located against the protection film 400. Therefore, the OLED 300 structure according to the present invention is more resistant to moisture and oxygen than a conventional top-surface emitting OLED structure.
The OLED 300 is driven by a pixel circuit that includes the OTFT 200 structure located on an upper part of the OLED 300 structure. As well as the drive OTFT, the pixel circuit is also composed of other elements, such as a switching OTFT, a driving OTFT, a storage capacitor structure, and a line pattern that connects the switching OTFT, the driving OTFT and to the storage capacitor structure.
Referring to
Referring to
Next, as shown in
With further reference to
Referring to
The organic semiconductor unit 250 may be cured at a lower temperature than the organic light emitting layer 330 which is cured in the process of forming the OLED 300 structure. The curing temperature may vary according to the organic material coated, but, in general, organic semiconductor materials can be cured at relatively low temperatures. Therefore, the OLED 300 structure which is formed prior to the OTFT 200 structure can be maintained without deformation or degradation while the organic semiconductor unit 250 is cured.
In the aforementioned method of manufacturing the organic light emitting device, the electrodes are patterned using an inkjet printing method. However, the inkjet printing method is more suited to manufacturing large display devices having relatively low precision. To manufacture small high resolution display devices that require high precision, an etching process including photolithography may be advantageous.
As shown in
In the above descriptions, the term ‘organic light emitting device’ denotes all devices having driving circuits that drive an organic light emitting diode having an OLED and an OTFT.
The bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device according to the present invention has a high aperture ratio. An OTFT serves to protect an OLED, since the OTFT has relatively higher resistance to moisture, water vapor, and oxygen.
The method of manufacturing the bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device according to the present invention also has the effect of stabilizing the process from a process temperature point of view. That is, the OTFT is not degraded during the process for forming the OLED, since the OTFT is formed subsequent to forming the OLED.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device comprising:
- a transparent substrate;
- an organic light emitting diode including a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode sequentially stacked on an upper surface of the transparent substrate;
- a planarization film covering the organic light emitting diode; and
- a pixel circuit driving the organic light emitting diode using an organic thin film transistor disposed on the planarization film.
2. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein light is emitted through a bottom surface of the transparent substrate, the bottom surface opposite the upper surface.
3. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein a drain electrode of the organic thin film transistor is connected to the pixel electrode of the organic light emitting diode via an interlayer connection unit formed by filling a conductive material in a hole passing through the planarization film.
4. The organic light emitting device of claim 3, wherein the hole further passes through a gate insulating layer of the organic thin film transistor.
5. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode is a metal electrode.
6. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the organic light emitting diode comprises a bank unit defining a light emission region and formed vertically on the transparent electrode.
7. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode is uninterrupted by a bank unit of the organic light emitting diode, and the transparent electrode is formed on at least substantially an entire surface of the transparent substrate.
8. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the pixel circuit overlaps with a light emission region of the organic light emitting diode.
9. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode of the organic light emitting diode is formed in one body with the entire surface of the transparent substrate.
10. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, further comprising a protection film preventing the pixel circuit from contacting external air by covering an upper surface of the pixel circuit.
11. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit includes a gate electrode formed on the planarization film, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode formed on the gate insulating layer in spaced locations, and an organic semiconductor unit positioned between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
12. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, further comprising a protection film covering the drain electrode, the source electrode, the organic semiconductor unit, and exposed portions of the gate insulating layer.
13. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the drain electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.
14. A method of manufacturing a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device, the method comprising:
- forming an organic light emitting diode by sequentially stacking a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode on an upper surface of a transparent substrate;
- forming a planarization film covering the organic light emitting diode;
- forming a gate electrode on an upper surface of the planarization film and forming a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode;
- forming a hole by removing a part of the gate insulating layer and the planarization film until the pixel electrode of the organic light emitting diode is exposed;
- connecting the pixel electrode to a drain electrode through the hole while forming a source electrode and the drain electrode on the gate insulating layer; and
- forming an organic semiconductor unit between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the organic light emitting diode comprises:
- forming the transparent electrode on an entire surface of the upper surface of the transparent substrate;
- forming a bank unit defining a light emission region on an upper surface of the transparent electrode;
- forming the organic light emitting layer on the upper surface of the transparent electrode in the bank unit; and
- forming the pixel electrode on an upper surface of the organic light emitting layer.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the hole is performed by wet or dry etching.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the hole is performed by using a laser.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the pixel electrode, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode includes patterning the pixel electrode, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode by an inkjet printing method using a metal ink, and performing a curing process.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the organic semiconductor unit comprises patterning an organic semiconductor material by an inkjet printing method and performing a curing process.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the organic semiconductor unit has a lower process temperature than forming the organic light emitting diode.
21. A method of manufacturing a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device, the method comprising:
- forming an organic light emitting diode by sequentially stacking a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode on an upper surface of a transparent substrate;
- forming a planarization film covering the organic light emitting diode;
- forming a hole by removing a side of the planarization film until the pixel electrode of the organic light emitting diode is exposed;
- connecting the pixel electrode to a drain electrode through the hole while forming a source electrode and the drain electrode on an upper surface of the planarization film;
- forming an organic semiconductor unit between the source electrode and the drain electrode; and
- forming a gate electrode after forming a gate insulating layer on upper parts of the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor unit.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein forming the organic light emitting diode comprises:
- forming the transparent electrode on an entire surface of the upper surface of the transparent substrate;
- forming a bank unit defining a light emission region on an upper surface of the transparent electrode;
- forming the organic light emitting layer on the upper surface of the transparent electrode in the bank unit; and
- forming the pixel electrode on an upper surface of the organic light emitting layer.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein forming the hole is performed by wet or dry etching.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the hole is formed by using a laser.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein forming the pixel electrode, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode includes patterning the pixel electrode, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode by an inkjet printing method using a metal ink, and performing a curing process.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein forming the organic semiconductor unit comprises patterning an organic semiconductor material by an inkjet printing method and performing a curing process.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein forming the organic semiconductor unit has a lower process temperature than forming the organic light emitting diode.
28. An active matrix organic light emitting device comprising:
- a transparent substrate;
- an organic light emitting diode including a transparent electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a pixel electrode sequentially stacked on the transparent substrate;
- a planarization film covering the organic light emitting diode; and
- a pixel circuit driving the organic light emitting diode and including an organic thin film transistor located on an upper part of the planarization film, wherein a drain electrode of the organic thin film transistor is connected to the pixel electrode of the organic light emitting diode through a hole formed through the planarization film.
29. A method of manufacturing a bottom-surface emitting organic light emitting device, the method comprising:
- forming an organic light emitting diode on a first surface of a transparent substrate; and,
- subsequently forming a pixel circuit over the organic light emitting diode;
- wherein light is emitted through a second surface of the transparent substrate, the second surface opposite the first surface.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein forming the organic light emitting diode includes a curing process performed at a first temperature, and forming the pixel circuit includes a curing process performed at a second temperature, the first temperature being higher than the second temperature.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein forming the pixel circuit includes forming an organic thin film transistor having a drain electrode electrically connected to a pixel electrode of the organic light emitting diode.
32. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming a planarization film on the organic light emitting diode prior to forming the pixel circuit.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 18, 2006
Publication Date: Oct 26, 2006
Patent Grant number: 7626331
Inventors: Ho-nyeon Lee (Seongnam-si), Sung-kee Kang (Seongnam-si), Tae-sik Oh (Suwon-si), In-seo Kee (Seongnam-si), Seong-eui Lee (Seongnam-si), Jung-woo Kim (Yongin-si)
Application Number: 11/405,766
International Classification: H01L 51/00 (20060101);